Instagram Is Not Real Life. Stop Feeling Behind


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Let’s talk, Instagram has become the fastest way to feel like you’re not doing enough.
You scroll for five minutes and see:
  • One girl in the Maldives sipping wine
  • One guy holding keys to a Benz (with the “grind never stops” caption)
  • Someone buying land
  • Someone flying business class to Dubai
    …and you?
You're still in your room, holding your phone, wondering if you’re failing at life.
This article is for you.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re behind, like your life is slow, like you’re missing something - please breathe. Let’s talk about it for real.
Firstly the dream life is possible and people live it, everyone can live it but it takes work and has nothing to do with the Instagram showbiz.


The Instagram Illusion

Instagram was never built to show real life.
It was built to highlight the moments people want you to see.

What you don’t see:

  • Most of the Maldives trips? may be on credit.
  • Some Benz keys? Might be on rental.
  • That flashy apartment? Shared with three roommates.
  • That glow-up reel? Shot on the one day she felt okay this month.
  • The entire Showmanship? Not something they can keep-up with.
There's this phrase "fake it till you make it" and for some of the Instagram showbiz, its a lifestyle they cannot afford. Those that can afford it? They have their own personal challenges as well, the reel is not real life.

Instagram is a collage of perfect moments, edited with filters, and cropped for angles.
And you’re comparing it to your 24/7 reality of bills, stress, slow mornings, trying your best.
It’s not a fair fight.


Why You Feel Behind (Even When You’re Growing)

Let’s break it down.

You feel behind because:

  • You only see other people’s wins and not their struggles
  • You don’t celebrate your own progress
  • You tie your worth to what you have, instead of who you’re becoming
The human brain isn’t wired to handle 200 success stories per day.
Especially when you're still trying to figure things out.
You’re not weak.
You’re overwhelmed.


Here’s What to Do Instead

1. Reset Your Timeline (Mentally & Digitally)

"At 25, I should be this. At 30, I should be that..."
Where did you get those rules from?
Instagram? Society? Someone else’s highlight reel? Your Parents?

Throw the timeline away.
Replace it with progress. Not pressure.

And while you’re at it:

  • Mute the people who make you feel small
  • Follow people who teach, not flex
  • Use Instagram as a tool to connect and learn, not your compass

2. Audit Your Inputs

What you feed your eyes affects how you feel.

Spend less time on:

  • “Soft life” reels with zero context
  • Empty motivation with no strategy
  • Fake lifestyles designed to make you envy

Spend more time on:

  • Real stories
  • Clear plans
  • Honest voices

3. Focus on Your Next 3 Steps (Not Their 100th)

That person you're comparing yourself to?
They’re 5 chapters ahead in their story.
And you just started yours.

Your goal is not to match their level — it’s to take your next step:

  • Build that savings
  • Launch that idea
  • Learn that skill
Get consistent again
Small moves count.
Especially when they’re in the right direction.

4. Track Your Real Life Wins

You didn’t post it, but:

  • You paid rent this month
  • You helped someone who needed you
  • You started saving again
  • You survived a hard season
These are real wins.
Start writing them down.
Remind yourself you’re not standing still — you’re building, even if the world doesn’t see it.


A Reminder from TLS Club

You’re not behind.
You’re not late.
You’re just on a different path - with different struggles, a different starting point, and different goals.
And that’s okay.

The loudest lives are not always the realest.
And the realest growth? It often happens offline.
You are not your timeline.
You are not your following.
You are not your last month’s earnings.
You are a work in progress - and progress is enough.


Final Words

If Instagram is making you feel like your life is small, turn it off for a while. Your peace is more important than someone else’s filter. Focus on your lane. Trust your pace.
Keep showing up — not to prove anything, but to build something real.
We see you. We’re rooting for you.
And you’re doing better than you think.

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